Remixes, Covers & Reboots

It seems these days, a movie reboot is just part of the process of showing a new generation what was old is new again and vice versa. Yeah, there's hardly an original idea anymore and it seems certain places don't even begin to try to manifest something that can be considered legendary. The problem isn't always what can be originally, it's usually the people who love the original and almost nothing more because it was either too great or it just goes by the wayside to become more of a cult classic than something meant for anyone to enjoy. 

Music can be considered the same way. You have so many cover songs and remixes that we forget what's even original anymore or think it's original but it's really a reboot of a song in a different tone and the way the lyrics are used. Does that mean the song is terrible? It depends on who's doing it. The funny thing is, the remix or cover can often times be far better than the original ever was. Take for instance, a good song by Bob Seger called Turn The Page; solid song and has a soft tone to it, almost calming (to an extent) and not a big epic style like he did with Old Time Rock & Roll that became the stuff of legends. Now, take the same exact song lyric for lyric and get a band like Metallica to do it that just puts goosebumps on your arms and fires up your soul and you got yourself a bad ass song. 

Another set of songs I enjoy from time to time are Disney Songs; I grew up on them and have fond memories. They're enjoyable and yeah the lyrics from the old school films (we're talking early 70's and before) are a little questionable in terms of dark undertones and some racial pointers but they're catchy. Even films during the Disney Renaissance were awesome in their own right from Hercules' Go The Distance to Scar's Be Prepared always gave me goosebumps. Some people today even the most mainstream artists will do their own version of the original songs and make them their own but others just come along and make them feel like you are ready to take on the world and go into a battle that you're willing to fight for. Almost like a Viking, Mongolian or even an American Soldier ready to take charge and fight. That's where artists like Jonathan Young & Peyton Parrish come in. 

Now what in the wide wide world of sports does this have anything to do with working out or fitness in general? Well, if you really think about it, many courses, classes, bootcamps and even seminars are reboots and/or remixes of what was already done. There are so many exercises that have been done and rehashed that it's ridiculous at times but we still buy them as if there's some magical potion or secret that they have within the pages or videos. From bodyweight training to powerlifting to isometrics to yoga or sports training they all have in hand in being used by the same exercises or variations and put into different perspectives to utilize for the goals needed in those types of training. 

You can take a set of exercises that people might be interested in, put them into a book or DVD or even make a series on YouTube and program your perspective and marketing ability to them. Some people do very well with it and are very successful, others try to pass it off as if it was the golden ticket to fitness god-hood and oversell what potentially can be dangerous and psychotic. Which one ends up being the best for you? However, you can take something that was originally done and put into a perspective where the rep/set scheme is better, there's other forms of information and there's variations people can start or advance with that works better than the original ever did. Kind of like a Movie or Song. 

Some exercises remain a focal point and can be used in progressions to create something better later on. Some use low basic skills and stay there while others progress to a more advanced style where only a fraction of a fraction of the population can possibly handle but all in all, the perspective is different but certain things remain the same in the regard of carrying on something that works and has worked for a long time. Find what works for you and make the most of it. If you enjoy it, that's awesome and I hope it brings you kick ass benefits, if it's not for you, don't force it. 

To find some of the best resources look no further than the right side of this blog. These are top of the line from some of the most knowledgeable people today and those that have passed on. Can't find what you're looking for, shoot me a message and I'll do the best to my ability to help you find the resources you need. Stay strong, kick ass and be amazingly awesome in your journey. 

Harnessing Your Individuality When It Comes To Training

We all had a hero in some form or another growing up as kids and we admire certain people as we get older but as time goes on and we learn a thing or two, harnessing our own individuality can be a tough gig yet it's part of a necessity that many loathe and can't stand. Some will go to extremes to be like somebody else (HOLLYWOOD wink wink) whether it be in business, fitness, movies, sports or whatever. We tend to promote ourselves as one of a kind but also put too much emphasis on who we are expected to be instead of putting emphasis of who we are and what makes us a unique person.

The reason many can't stand or loathe people being their true selves because mainly they're afraid of their own soul and that being an individual with a single point of unique traits is very hard to achieve. Almost anyone can act out or program themselves to be somebody else because it's easier than building yourself from the ground up. Fitness is right up there with that kind of approach.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be like Michael Jordan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barry Sanders and other cool actors and athletes that looked larger than life. In reality, I was short, stocky and about as unathletic and uncoordinated as can be. I wasn't that good at Basketball, couldn't look like a bodybuilder if I tried and I didn't have the aggressiveness to play football. Those traits prevented me from doing a lot of what I wanted to be. As I grew up and learning what my strengths and weaknesses were, little by little things fell into place of what I expected and accepted of myself as opposed to what I was told to be and how to do things by others' standards and expectations.

Once fitness became a part of my very existence, I made a vow to myself to learn everything possible and focus on creating my own style from the things I learned. I've mastered many exercises but don't follow a trainer or guru to the T, I learned how to strengthen my body without the aid of Physical Therapy and never once used a Personal Trainer to show me the ropes. I learned to harness my individuality and continuing to evolve. Is it perfect and is my way meant for everyone? Hell no. Once you understand the value of not trying to be exactly like a Michael Jordan or Arnold or Barry Sanders, you learn the true meaning of being able to strengthen yourself inside and out. Another is, these people are the GOATs of their chosen sport or acting, you can't have the same exact accolades or try to be the way they were. There are people out there with better skills and have more titles to their name but don't have the same recognition. 

We train to better ourselves, not to showoff and try to be better than somebody else. We win, we lose and we're human with different capabilities, traits and fortitude. You can make it known what you're capable of and have a great level of strength, conditioning and a powerful will but in the end, you and you alone are the very best at what's happening right now. Certain things will fade and adjust to what comes next but never underestimate the power of your own individuality. Learn to progress and grab a hold of what makes you the best version of you. You can be a great wrestler and do all sorts of moves and submissions, you can be a great powerlifter that sets records and have strength beyond belief or you can develop an all around level of anything you set your mind to. Your training is what you develop to do something great later on no matter how big or small, victories come in all shapes and sizes. 

Be an individual of your own accord and make the most of what makes you great. It's a long journey but it doesn't have to be boring or so extreme that it becomes unrealistic. It can be interesting and you'd be surprised what you're capable of if you just open up your soul and become something you were meant to be because it's you and no one else. 

Different Conditioning Styles By Wrestlers

If anyone laid the foundation for wrestlers and how they condition themselves in the sport, it was arguably Wrestlers from the Middle East & India hands down. They taught the fundamentals of how to utilize the body to such a degree that stamina was inexhaustible, strength lasted for hours on end and being explosive was inevitable at any given time. They created what is still being used today just through certain variations.

The thing is, not every wrestler or coach uses the same exact exercises or even principles of their training to be successful in the sport. Some conditioned according to their size and what gave them the tools to be successful. Now in modern times when it comes to conditioning or even more specific, bodyweight conditioning, there were the three main forms of exercises that were the ground work; the pushups, the squats and the bridges. Those were the pinnacle aside from actual wrestling but there was more to them or in better terms, what other wrestlers and coaches took into consideration that honed the skills and the ideal training methods. 

Every culture since ancient times has their hand in wrestling in some form or another and formed their own ideas on how to condition the men to fight in order to be dominant in a tribe, kingdom or just a village for that matter. In Mongolia you didn't see wrestlers do Hindu Pushups or do Hindu Squats in order to condition, yet some of these were so powerful, it was unbelievable. There were cultures that if you look throughout history, probably didn't do a single supplemental exercise and just wrestled and were just as strong and dominant. Look up how Senegalese Wrestlers sometime and check out their methods.

In America, you had some of the best wrestlers in the world that came from everywhere and took their skills to places that just baffled onlookers. Some of the greatest in history utilized more of a weight training approach, some used a mixture of bodyweight and weights, bodyweight alone and some either ran or just wrestled in order to get in condition. The fact of the matter is, regardless of how you wrestled, you used basic exercises and often times compound movements to be successful. Once Karl Gotch came into the picture, his use of the Hindu Style became a requirement in most wrestling gyms since the 60's or even as far back as the 50's when he was being groomed but if you look at the ideals of conditioning the body for the sport, at least from an American point of view, the Hindu Style wasn't written up as much if at all.

Although many exercises can be traced back to the Hindu Style, you didn't see their version of the pushups & squats along with others in the old Physical Culture courses from the likes of Farmer Burns, George Hackenshmidt, Bernarr McFadden, Earle Liederman and others. At least two of these guys were very successful wrestlers in their time but you never saw the Hindu Style of conditioning. Also with that in mind, wrestling styles vary from culture to culture. Mongolia had more of a Greco-Roman/Judo type style, Senegal was grappling mixed with boxing or bare-knuckle type fighting, Hindus were a close relationship to our modern Amateur Wrestling and today's Catch Wrestling is utilized with Submissions and overall base of takedowns, suplexes and throws. Then you have styles from Turkey, Brazil, Japan and Russia that vary the rules of combat. 

Is the Hindu Style the very best? That all depends on the coach and what they're willing to teach students of the art. It certainly works in many aspects but if it was the very best, every wrestler since the dawn of man would do it but they don't. Today's aspect of conditioning for MMA still has its roots that trace back to India but with the concept of utilizing more explosive based conditioning than just stamina and strength based, there are countless ways to be a successful combat athlete or even a wrestler for that matter. The Hindu Style works without a doubt but there should be options to how we base our training according to the needs of the athlete. Look at the success of Dan Gable and the University Of Iowa, their style of conditioning wasn't like the Hindu Style but what did they produce? Some of the greatest wrestlers that went on to Olympic glory. 

Last thing, there are wrestlers out there that are so fanatical on conditioning they base their livelihood on it. I do believe the better condition you are, the higher chances of being successful but it's not always the supplemental stuff that will get you there, hell even Ed Strangler Lewis had said that wrestling was the best conditioner and despite the fact that he wasn't shredded or had the body of a Greek god, his stamina was the stuff of legends. The man in his prime just didn't know the meaning of the word "tired", he can go for hours and be practically just as efficient towards the end of a match as much as the beginning. 

You be the judge, what do you feel makes a successful wrestler?    

Rippers & Hookers

Sounds like a bad serial killer novel involving the world's oldest profession doesn't it? The funny thing is, it's far from what you might actually think. Back in the day, wrestlers who were known to literally break and tear people apart were called Hookers where they would hook or put an opponent in a dangerous hold where they could if given the chance cripple the guy and be one feared motherfucker. You would not want to get on the bad side of these guys.

These days, nobody would use the term hooker to describe a wrestler, now the word ripper is another story. Like the Hookers of yesteryear, a ripper can be used to describe a wrestler or grappler who could handle himself and tear limbs, tendons or ligaments. Some of the most feared wrestlers of the day were guys like Farmer Burns, George Tragos, Ad Santel, Tom Jenkins and even the legendary Robert Fredrick aka Ed "Strangler" Lewis. These days, the last of the Hookers or Rippers of the old school were men like Karl Gotch & Billy Robinson. 

The men I mentioned above were specialists in knowing the dark side to physical anatomy and could make you tap before you really had a chance to take a breath. These were WRESTLERS and had levels of stamina and mind that they were considered inexhaustible geniuses of their time. Catch Wrestling has it's roots mainly in England for the last 150 years but long before that, you had other cultures that would showcase styles of wrestling that were brought to other countries and became a molded sculpture in today's world. The old timers are long gone and quite a bit of their style of Catch has been left in the dust. 

Now in today's world, Catch Wrestling isn't as big as it used to be and other arts such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing and Amateur Wrestling dominated the landscape in how we see today's MMA. If BJJ is considered the "gentle" art, Catch is considered the violent aspect according to Former MMA champ and current Catch Teacher Josh Barnett. There are competitions purely on Catch and has taken extremely small steps to becoming a larger form of fighting since the early 1900's. You can arguably say the last known competitor in the art was Billy Robinson. The man would be considered the Einstein or Steven Hawking of Catch Wrestling. 

Although the hookers and the rippers don't have that fear factor today, you can still learn some form of that old school style with a small group of fighters, teachers and students of the old art. It's used more of a competition but can it be used in the streets? Afterall, street fights are very unpredictable and sometimes what you may think you know could get you killed or be sent to the hospital but if you were able to not necessarily make a shmuck tap but to save your life using techniques that won't kill the man but put a damper on the limbs he uses would it be worth it? Would it be worth it to save a loved one, defend yourself against attackers or send a message telling them not to fuck with you (in the sense of not upping up somebody like a douchebag but making sure you're not some weak punk). 

Now if you're in law enforcement, would certain techniques help restraining a suspect or defending a fellow officer? Catch can be used in many ways and possibly lifesaving if it came down to it. There are people out there who may understand Catch but wouldn't know how to use it, others have incredible knowledge and have great success, it just depends on whom you learn it from. There isn't a one-way of learning this art and everybody who teaches it especially today can be a gamble as opposed to back in the day where you could go just about anywhere and learn from the masters. All in all, whether a competitor or someone going down on the wrong side of town, Catch can be beneficial.   

 

Layers Of Strength Like Super Saiyan Transformations

For years now, I've been a Dragon Ball fan of the Saga. It's really the only anime I like that didn't include Street Fighter as a kid. Similar story to Superman with a twist and has Martial Arts, powerful warriors, rivals, match-ups, foes become friends, Vegeta always wanted to be ahead of Goku but never really does and the training clips are just bad ass especially in the Gravity Chamber. It's one of the inspirations for my own training and finding some cool things to try out.

 One of the cool aspects of the Shows is the transformations guys like Goku and Vegeta go through to become more powerful than usual. The levels of Super Saiyan are just an awesome blend of animation and the fighting internally they go through to achieve their transformations and making them effortless later on. It's a way of looking at strength progressions in fitness, there are several layers and as you get stronger, there's always another layer coming your way to push through. 

Yeah it's corny and has some off the wall characters (Master Roshi anyone) along with situations that may not be suitable for even today's generation unless you watch the uncensored versions. The fact remains, with each transformations the Saiyans generate, it's a progression that at first takes a lot out of them and as they master them, they become effortless and doesn't take on a ton of energy or in their case strength. With each time you master a weight or a certain exercise, you would progress to a heavier weight or version of an exercise that's harder in order to become your strongest. 

Yeah it's a cartoon and we can't look exactly look like Goku or even withstand a Gravity Chamber that goes up to 400x the gravity of earth (if you were to calculate that, it be walking into a room and you weighing hundreds of times your bodyweight) but we can build strength and muscle using things like weighted vests to do our bodyweight exercises or do exercises with greater control and slower. Guys like Matt Schifferle & The Bioneer are awesome at teaching progressions in order for someone to build their strength on and guys like Brooks Kubik utilizing old school weight training and bodyweight exercise to build a great deal of muscle using progressions on a consistent basis. 

Although Goku & Vegeta have completely different views on life and progressive training, they still become stronger in their own way and format different purposes. That's what it's like in the real world where you can progress in your own way but still reach levels of strength beyond belief. Now what they do is obviously exaggerated and very fictional but it doesn't take away the fact that it is possible to build strength and muscle with the right tools and training programs. Many struggle especially with the consistency and discipline but it's not impossible. Like a transformation, you can also transform your level of strength and physique. The old time strongmen who were no more than on average 165-190 lbs were some of the most muscular people on the planet yet had strength that baffles by even today's standards. It's incredible what you can achieve when you give yourself the time and dedication.

Look past some of the silliness and dialogue and understand what some of these guys do in that Saga that gives them abilities that just seem to go higher and higher each time. When you thought one of the transformations made them crazy powerful, another one comes along and just becomes even more mind boggling. Even the transformations become God-like later on; you can have some crazy strength as well (without the need of steroids of course) and harness the ability to find out what the body is truly capable of. Of course I believe in safety and doing things without getting injured as much as possible but we are capable of things we didn't think were possible. In a weird way, we have a bit of Super Saiyan strength where each progression is another step to being the strongest we can be as a individual. 

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